ISPO Top-Textrends Award honours neoprene in dazzling colours
This makes my water sports heart beat faster: the Textrend Award for "Overall Best Product" in the textile industry at the ISPO sports trade fair this year went to a material for wetsuits that is as dazzling as it is useful.
At the world's largest sports trade fair, ISPO in Munich, there was a surprise at the awards ceremony for the Textrends Awards came as a surprise: instead of high-performance yarns for sportswear, the top prize for the best new product in the sports textile industry was awarded to the Japanese manufacturer of neoprene and neoprene coatings, Yamamoto. Yamamoto was honoured with the "Overall Best Product" award for "Aurora". The glittering coating in various shades of colour is definitely an eye-catcher.
Play of colours under water
Under water, the coating with the name "Aurora" changes colour like a chameleon. But it can do even more: according to the manufacturer, the SCS (Super Composite Skin) finish is abrasion-resistant and resistant to chlorine and salt water. Thanks to the treated surface, the neoprene is quick-drying, insulating and easy to put on and take off. Thanks to the reflective and water-repellent properties of the suit, the body does not lose heat so quickly under water. In addition, according to Yamamoto measurements, wetsuits coated with SCS have a lower water resistance than uncoated neoprene and feel soft and smooth.
Source: Siri Schubert
Rape seed oil and renewable energies
Although the material has a metallic glow, Yamamoto favours environmentally friendly materials. The highly stretchable wetsuits are based on limestone. Instead of mineral oil, the company uses rapeseed oil in production. The coating is applied to a plant-based material called "Greenwave", as the Yamamoto representative explained to me at ISPO. The ISPO statement on the price also emphasises that the material is made with 100 per cent renewable energy. The smooth SCS surface is particularly well suited to water sports where speed and glide are important, such as fin swimming and freediving.
Source: Siri Schubert
It is likely that the coloured Aurora coating will also have to prove itself under harsh conditions in the future. The wetsuit manufacturer Rash Wetsuits, which sponsors the Japanese national surf team, has already presented a suit in the dazzling Aurora look at ISPO.
Cover photo: Siri Schubert
Research diver, outdoor guide and SUP instructor – I love being in, on and around water. Lakes, rivers and the ocean are my playgrounds. For a change of perspective, I look at the world from above while trail running or flying drones.